Charlotte home and Democrat., 1887-06-24
Baby and the Beast.


rael.- Wilmington Star.
Baby and the Beast.
The old Roman legend tells how Rom
ulus and Remus, who built Rome, were
nursed by a wolf when they were babies.
That might do very we'll in legend, per-
ticularly as they were supposed to have
no mother to care for them; but in real
life most mothers would as soon think Of
throwing their babies into the river as Of
giving them to wild beasts. And vet it
has happened more than once that wild
grown persons were perfectly safe com.
panions tor very little children.
10 the celebrated geological gardens at
Antwerp there is a little boy, scarcely
able to walk yet, who is permitted to go
in among the lions, tigers, and leopards,
and play with them as if they were only
ordinary pussy-cats. He has not the
slightest fear of them, but pulls their tails
and ears, and pokes his little fingers in
their eyes, as babies will do, and they
never do any worse than move out of his
way. 1t is said to be very pretty sight
to see that fairskinned, big blue-eyed baby
comfortably seated by the side of huge
tiger, his little dimpled hands perhaps
pulling the tawny striped coat of the mon
ster. 1t may indeed be q pretty sight,
but it must need strong nerves to enable
one to look at it with any pleasure; for to
most persons it will seem hardly possible
that the fierce creature will not turn at
any moment and tear the innocent little
baby to pieces. The little fellow, how
ever, has no more fear of any of the saw
age beasts than you have of lap-dog; for
he was born right there, and has been
1o1g the animals all of his short life.
Long before he could walk he was carried
into the cages and allowed to pat the tam
est of the animals, aud before very long
they began to show such signs of pleasure
at his coming that in time they became
fast friends, and the keeper had no hesita
tion in putting. the baby in the cage with
the trained leopards, and afterwards with
the lions and tigers. The leopards were
trusted first because they are usually the
mildest-tempered and most affectionate oil
the wild animals.
Instances are known of leopards rescu
ing their keepers from other animals ir
the menagerie, and very pretty story is
told of one case when, through the instru
mentality of cage of leopards, man and
bis baby girl we're saved from the attacl
of jaguar, one of the most untsmable oi
animals. The man travelled with the me
| nagerie and its attached circus as gym
| Last in the summer, but when the animali
went into winter quarters he was retained
as keeper, and lived with his family in
little cottage near by. Scarcely a day
passed that he did not take his baby
daughter to see the animals, and they, &C
cording to their custom, grew so fond o
her that at her coming most of them woult
make some sign of pleasure. Only one.
sullen brute of q jaguar, refused to max,
friends, and always fsttened down hi
ears and snarled when she was taken be
fore his cage. With the leopards, on tn
other hand, she was particularly friendly
and they liked nothing better than hav
ing her put her tiny hands through tn
bars to pat and stroke them. The though
of putting her in the cage with even th,
leopards had never occurred to him, how
ever, and probably it never would have
had not tho jaguar forced it into his mine
very suddenly one day. He had bee
cleaning the cages, and the process beinl
an unpleasant one to the jaguar, the ferc
cious beast was in such very ugly moot
that the man thought it best not to ange
him any more by holding the baby befor
his cage. Consequently he hurried pas
the cross animal, and there by failed to nt
tice that the cage fastening was SO slippe'
that the door might easily be opened. II
had reached the leopards, and was hole
ing the baby so that she could reac
through the bars when be heard a ligh
thud on the floor behind him, and lookin
around, saw to his horror that the jagua
had escaped, and with blazing eyes, slow
waving tail, and crouched body, was stea
thily moving toward him.
His first feeling was sickening fea
but he quickly recovered, and with tt
marvellous rapidity the mind is capable {
in emergencies, sought for means of 9
cape. He knew be could not escape b
either door, for the little active anim
would overtake him before he had gon
ten PAGES. A pulley rope, used for hois
ing quantities of meat or feed into th
| room, dangled from the ceiling to IL
4. floor, and offered him safety had he NJ
| been encountered with the baby. f
could not climb the rope with her,
would not desert her. And yet to sta
. there meant death to both. The despe
ate chance suggested itself to throw Il
3 baby among the leopards, and trust
: their friendship, while he would reach Il
I rope, if not then too late. Almost as
( thoug ght it be slipped the bolt, lifted Il
8 fastening, opened the door, pushed
/. baby in, shut the door and lesped for Il
t rope. 1t was well for him that he was
f gymnast and could hand-over-hand up
d rope, for he was barely out of reach VIII
n the tiger shot through the air, and wi
Q its terrible claws caught the rope just U
g der one of his feet. After making sever
o futile efforts to reach the man, the G
!, ragged animal tried to get into the lee
= ards cage, where the baby had been W
l. coined. and fortunately was kept in safe
II until help came and the jaguar was sh